Dents

Dents was established in Worcester in 1777 as a manufacturer of fine leather gloves by John Dent (1751–1811). It is possibly Britain's oldest existing fashion manufacturer. Dent's sons, John and William, helped the company expand throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1845, mechanical sewing was introduced to the company to assist craftspeople. In 1847, the business became Dent, Allcroft & Co. when John Derby Allcroft ran the company. Under Allcroft, annual production quadrupled to over 12 million pairs in 1884 and Dents became the premier glove producer in the world. Dents' gloves have been featured in several films. Examples include the unlined black gloves worn by Daniel Craig portraying James Bond in the 2012 movie, Skyfall, the black gloves worn by Michael Keaton portraying Batman in the 1989 film, Batman, and the purple suede gloves worn by Jack Nicholson portraying the Joker in the same film. Since sometime before 1992, the company has been a subsidiary of Dewhurst Dent plc, a maker of fashion accessories based in Bolton. Since March 2023, Dents' headquarters has been the temporary home of the Fashion Museum, Bath. ==Products==

The firm exports to Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia, and has expanded to include belts, handbags, hats, serapes, and other small leather goods in the Dents Collection. The glove patterns used today date back to 1839. Heritage gloves are available in a handful of stores worldwide with a luxury price tag and should not be confused with the imported gloves sold in most stores. ==Personal lives==

In 1837, John and William Dent purchased Sudeley Castle which had been the home of former queen Catherine Parr who died in 1548. The castle and chapel were "ruinous" at the time, having been extensively damaged during the Civil War. The Dents' restoration of the castle was quite sensitive, deciding to not entirely rebuild the castle, rather leaving part of it as picturesque ruins, giving the castle much of its character still seen today. One reliable source states that the restoration was directed by George Gilbert Scott, "working on the western side of the inner court in the style of the existing Medieval and Elizabethan buildings"; Gilbert Scott subsequently began the restoration of the castle's free-standing St Mary's chapel. When Sudeley was habitable again, the brothers set about filling the castle with artworks. ==References==